Hi,
I have built a microvawe transformer spotwelder, I have put a single turn of welder wire for in the secondary and I’m timing it with arduino. Worth mentioning it was/is a 230V transformer. Electrodes are sharpened copper rods. I believe the voltage is still high. The spotwelds it produces are slightly discolored and not as strong as you would expect. Is this design fundamentally borked? Is there anything else I can make to make it better?
Photo from test stage before it was built into a project box, it is less “shocking” now.
You need to go up in voltage, not down.
Try it on 240v. (check your 5v supply can handle that, or power it separately)
I have 230V or 400V three phase. I live in the EU. So this cannot be solved without replacing the winding on the transformer I guess.
If you have a 230V supply and a 230V transformer, you are fine. I believe they thought you were using a 120V supply on a 230V transformer.
Raising the input voltage will probably not get you what you want.
If it’s just a matter of getting a larger voltage, then you already got 400V. No need for new windings, unless the insulation on the primary can’t handle 400V.
I need lower voltage. 1-2V on the secondary. I have 3V rms now.